Third-party reproduction

Third-party reproduction is a method of reproduction where someone other than the couple (third party) is involved in the conception of the child. This method is used by couples who are unable to conceive a child naturally. The third party can be a sperm donor, egg donor, embryo donor, or a surrogate mother.

Types of Third-Party Reproduction

Sperm Donation

Sperm donation is a form of third-party reproduction where a man donates his sperm to be used in the artificial insemination of a woman who is not his sexual partner. This is often used by single women, lesbian couples, and heterosexual couples where the male partner is infertile.

Egg Donation

Egg donation involves a woman donating her eggs to be used in the process of in vitro fertilization (IVF). The donated eggs are fertilized in a laboratory and the resulting embryos are transferred to the recipient's uterus. This method is often used by women who are unable to produce viable eggs.

Embryo Donation

Embryo donation is a form of third-party reproduction where embryos that were created through IVF for a couple, but not used, are donated to another couple or individual. The recipient then has the embryos transferred to her uterus in the hope of achieving a pregnancy.

Surrogacy

Surrogacy involves a woman (the surrogate) carrying a pregnancy for another person or couple. There are two types of surrogacy: traditional and gestational. In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate's egg is used, making her the genetic mother of the child. In gestational surrogacy, the egg and sperm are usually from the intended parents, so the surrogate has no genetic link to the child.

Ethical and Legal Issues

Third-party reproduction raises a number of ethical and legal issues. These include questions about the rights of the donors, the rights of the children produced through third-party reproduction, and the regulation of third-party reproduction services.

See Also

• Assisted reproductive technology
• In vitro fertilisation
• Artificial insemination